An American Airlines passenger tore off his shirt and aggressively chased airport employees around the tarmac after getting booted off his flight
- An American Airlines passenger was detained at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.
- While boarding the flight, the man was warned about his erratic behavior, then ran to the tarmac, removed his shirt, and chased the airport employees with a "plastic signal wand."
- The man was taken to a nearby hospital after the incident for a mental health evaluation, but has not received criminal charges.
An American Airlines passenger threatened airport employees on the tarmac at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police.
The man boarded flight 5466 to Cincinnati on February 26, but appeared to be disoriented and was unable to find his seat. After being warned that he would be kicked off of the flight if his behavior continued, he ran down to the tarmac, removed his shirt, and began to chase airport employees with a "plastic signal wand," the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said in a statement. The man was taken to a nearby hospital after the incident for a mental health evaluation, but has not received criminal charges. No injuries were reported.
A video taken by a passenger on the flight shows the man running toward airport employees and nearly attacking them. American Airlines confirmed that the flight departed 35 minutes later than expected.
Two other passenger-related incidents have delayed commercial flights recently. On Monday, a United Airlines flight was delayed after a passenger was arrested for deploying and using the emergency slide while boarding a flight at Newark Liberty International Airport. And on February 23, a Southwest Airlines flight was delayed after an emotional support dog bit a child passenger.